


Change my plans

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26650102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: It's a little over a week after the horrific actions at Edenbrook, and Ethan wants nothing more than to leave it all behind. With her by his side.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 24





	Change my plans

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! How are we doing? I've been writing this fic for a little over a week, in the breaks from being a scientist and sleeping till I drop because uni is starting next week :D I wanted (needed) some fluff for my girl Claire (don't I always, tho?) so I tried to maximize the tooth-aching sweetness in this one, sprinkling in some humor here and there.  
> Enjoy! <3

„Is this going to become a ‘thing’ now?” Jackie joked when she opened the door, only to find Ethan Ramsey on the other side. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, hesitation still present in his movements.

By ‘thing’, she meant that it’s been the fourth time that week that she had to let him into the apartment. First time it happened, they both stared at one another in discomfort, unsure how to proceed. It wasn’t that Jackie didn’t know why he was there; she did. Claire made a point to sit all of her friends down and give them a heads-up, and yet, despite all that, they still had to take a moment before moving on from the uneasiness.

_“I don’t want any uncomfortable situations or misunderstandings.” She began, her hands shaking with nerves, but most of all, with excitement. She’s waited for an opportunity to finally tell them about her budding relationship with Ethan for what felt like ages, and now that she finally could, even if only to her inner circle, she felt butterflies in her stomach._

_“We already know, but we won’t take the satisfaction away from you.” Elijah snickered, leaning away just in time to avoid Sienna’s punch to the shoulder._

_“Good. We’re trying. Ethan and I, I mean. We’re trying.” she said, smiling so widely that her cheeks were hurting. Breathing out a sigh of relief at the happy expressions she saw on their faces, she leaned back in her chair._

_“Took you long enough.” Aurora smirked, patting her on the shoulder with a knowing look._

“I’m afraid so.” He tried to find the, very familiar by now, sound of the alarm that he usually heard when someone was close to discovering what was going on between him and a certain blonde doctor. To his surprise, he didn’t hear it. In fact, he hasn’t heard it in over a week now. He’s slowly been getting used to letting his heart do the talking when it came to Claire, giving into his desires and feelings every moment he could without the typical for him hesitation. So did she, using every opportunity she got to enjoy the newly gained freedom to express her affections.

“You do know it’s her day off, I assume, so what are you doing here?”

“I’m picking her up.” he explained, explaining immediately when Jackie’s eyebrow shot up in question. “Not for work.”

“Herondale, your boyfriend is at the door! Again! Pick him up or kick him out.” She called out, then waved her hand at him and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving him alone in the doorway.

As he closed the door behind him, blonde locks appeared in his peripheral vision. With a smug grin, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room, slamming the door behind them. She stood on the tips of her toes as she simultaneously grabbed the back of his neck and yanked him down towards her, making their lips meet. He hummed gently, his body leaning into her, arms wrapping around her to hold her against him securely.

“I missed you.” she muttered, punctuating her words with small kisses. Ethan leaned back, speechlessly looking at her with mock confusion.

“You literally saw me last night.”

“I missed you all the same, your point being?”

Claire started walking backwards towards her bed, pulling him along with her without breaking the kiss. With every time their lips touched, he forgot why he ever came to see her in the first place, and that wouldn’t do. He trailed towards her ear, breathlessly whispering his true intentions. “Pack a bag.” When she stopped in her tracks to look at him, he explained more. “We’re leaving for three days. Take whatever you want or need.”

“Why? Do you want me to take a longer break? Cause I really don’t need it- “ she jumped into conclusions, shaking her head while trying to reason her way out of it. He stopped her spiraling, silencing her with a slow kiss.

“I want you to go away with me for three days because I want you all to myself. No hiding, no sneaking around, no interruptions.” He nudged his nose against hers playfully, though his eyes betrayed his vulnerability and hesitation to even say anything. “And if we both catch a break from the mess in here, then even better.” Realization dawned on her all at once, and suddenly she was nodding vigorously and throwing her arms around him.

“In that case, do you want to help me pack? You can choose the lingerie.” She teased, alluding to what they both knew would be happening during their trip, sooner or later. He laughed, kissing her forehead before stepping towards the door.

“Surprise me. We both know that if I stay here, we won’t leave this room at all.”

“Wise words, Dr. Ramsey. Wait in the living room, then.” She winked, turning towards her wardrobe as he closed the door, his feet carrying him to the rest of the housemates.

Sienna smiled at him as he leaned against the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. Over the last few days, they’ve become something that Ethan could only describe as friends. She was there when he finally came to terms with his own feelings for Claire. He wouldn’t say that they were going to start telling each other everything, but Sienna offered him her support, both silent and not so much, whenever he needed it. Not to mention that she was the biggest ally his relationship with Claire could ever ask for.

“So, where are you taking her?” she asked, drumming her fingers against the cup she was holding. Her tone was suggesting, as she was somewhat sure of how far their relationship has progressed already. His cheeks became tinted with a hint of a blush as he answered.

“Knowing, Claire, she’s right behind the corner and eavesdropping, so all I’ll say is ‘away’.”

“Sorry, C, I tried.” She giggled, looking over his shoulder. When he turned around, his girlfriend was standing right behind him, amused smile on her face.

“Don’t worry, he’ll tell me eventually.” She winked at her best friend, then reached for his hand, brushing their fingers against each other gently. “Are we ready to go?”

“After you.”

They said their goodbyes, then walked out to his car. The screen of the GPS didn’t state where they were going, but it did show the time needed to get there, which was all she cared about. Ethan might have thought that she’d probe him until he told her where he was taking her, but the truth was, all she wanted was to get away with him, no matter where that would be.

Sitting comfortably in the passenger’s seat, she had the first-row view of him. He drove the car seemingly without a single care in the world, nothing to worry his mind. His eyes were focused on the road, which meant that he could only see her in his peripheral vision. Well, that, and feel the pleasant warmth of her gaze on his cheek.

“You’re staring.” He stated, the corners of his lips going up. She shrugged, placing her elbow on the cushioned compartment in the space between them and leaning onto it.

“Cause you’re handsome.”

“Am I now?” Smirking, he risked letting his eyes wander towards her. She was much closer than he anticipated, so close that he would be able to see little golden specs in her otherwise emerald eyes if he had enough time to look into them properly.

“Your ego must be really enjoying it, huh?” Claire teased, tilting even closer to him, letting her fingers trace the lines of his muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt. She pressed her lips to his cheek, then brushed her nose against his jaw and went back to her previous position.

They continued their journey in silence for some time. Trees were blurring into a consistently green patch of color, interrupted only by the sky peaking through from time to time. The low hum of the engine would be enough to lull her to sleep if it wasn’t for how excited she was about this trip and endorphins that were rushing through her bloodstream just because of how close they were.

“I want this.” Ethan mused under his breath, shifting in his seat a little. Claire hummed quietly, facing him to hear him better.

“Want what?”

“The freedom to do this.” he clarified, taking her hand in his, his hold firm and secure. “And this.” he pressed his lips to her fingers, keeping them in place for a few breaths. “And this.” he placed her hand back where it was before, and then allowed his own to rest on her thigh with a squeeze. A shiver ran through her, goosebumps appearing on her arms.

“Are these the only things you’re happy to do?” she breathed a little heavier, her teeth grazing her lower lip. For a moment he could only guess what her face looked like, but then the light turned red, giving him a few seconds to turn towards her. Their faces were mere millimeters away from each other. Ethan let his eyes drop to her lips.

“If only there was any place to park…”

“My, oh, my, Ethan! In the car, again?” The corners of her eyes crinkled as a sign of her good humor. He wanted to say more but couldn’t, the light already turning green and pulling his attention away from her and onto the road. He replied after a moment of thinking.

“As if you didn’t enjoy it.”

“I always did. I always _do_. As you said, _whatever, wherever_. Maybe not now, but soon.” With a few words, she managed to make his blood rush through his veins faster, the temperature of his body rising slightly. Ethan took in a shaky breath, voice wavering when he spoke.

“You like teasing me, don’t you?”

“Immensely.”

\--------------

“Care to tell me why we’re parked outside the supermarket?” Claire’s confusion reflected in the way she looked around hesitantly, waiting for some sort of explanation. Ethan offered her his arm, which she took gladly, allowing him to pull them closer together.

“We need something to eat. Come on, we still have about ten minutes of driving from here.”

They strolled through the alleys at a leisure pace, holding hands as though it was the most normal thing for them in the world; as though they’ve been doing this for years. While he went to the winery section to get a bottle or two, she separated from him, heading off in the opposite direction. When they met up again, she put two boxes of cake in their cart, linking their arms together again. His eyebrows shot up in a mock question, which was met with a shrug.

“What? You said it yourself, we have to eat something.”

“It would be nice if we didn’t get diabetes while we’re at it. What about dinner?” he asked as they made their way towards the main section of the store. She skimmed her gaze along the selection of protein laid out in front of her, shaking her head indecisively.

“You choose. I’ll eat whatever we cook.”

Five minutes later they were back on the road, groceries in the back. The car turned left, off the main road and onto the rocky one, leading deep into the forest.

“It’s as though you want to kill and then bury me somewhere.” Claire joked, pushing his arm lightly. He laughed, throwing her a humorous look.

“I wouldn’t have let that many people know that I was taking you out of town if I wanted to do that.”

A rustic cabin revealed itself after a while, surrounded by what used to be a flower garden during summertime; now it was covered in withered plants and a few bushes here and there. The small winter garden was tucked away in the corner of the whole clearing, partially hidden from the view. The cold wind rustled the leaves, filling the air with soft hum.

Claire stood on her tiptoes, throwing her arms around Ethan’s neck to pull him to her. “It’s beautiful.”

Their lips brushed against each other a few times before the biting coolness of the early winter made them rush inside. Leaving their bags by the entrance, they started with a tour of the house. Kitchen was connected to the living room, a dining table between the two. Bathroom right next to the bedroom, and in the said bedroom, the door to the outside.

She turned towards him, walking backwards with a wink. Her hand was extended in his direction, which he took, twirling her into his arms and leading them out of the room before she could protest.

“Let’s cook first.” He explained, helping her sit down at the bar stool. She pouted playfully.

“You’re no fun.”

“I think we’ve established that I am _plenty_ of fun.” He muttered as his hands gripped her hips, giving them a short squeeze.

Ethan acquainted himself with the layout of the room before he began working. Claire watched, at least at first, before getting bored and jumping off the stool to search for something that could provide them with music. Having set it up, she danced her way to his side, observing what he was doing.

“Do you need me to do anything?” she asked, pressing her lips to his upper arm. He looked at her, feeling content with how easy it was to be with her like this. He could do this more often; all the time, in fact, if only he was allowed to do so.

“Get started on the dough for the dumplings, I’ll join you in the moment.”

She took her rings off her fingers, leaving them next to her phone. After mixing eggs and water with flour in a bowl for a bit, she dumped the dough onto the countertop. Using the back of her hand, she kneaded it for a while, then covered it to let it rest. A wave of heat brushed against the back of her neck.

“I wanted to help you, but it seems as though you don’t need it.” he mused against her ear, running his hands up and down her sides. Claire turned in his arms, locking their eyes in a heated gaze. With an innocent look on her face, she brushed her fingers against his cheeks, smearing flour all over his skin. Surprise bloomed in his expression, then morphed into mischief when he grabbed some more of flour and spread it on the tip of her nose and leading it down to her chin.

“I can cook too, you know. You watched Nigella, I watched Gordon.” She taunted him breathlessly, her eyes fluttering close.

Ethan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her body closer to his, their lips meeting halfway in a slow kiss. Instead of leaning down, he picked her up, smirking when she gasped in surprise. Her hands, previously unoccupied, now were gripping his shoulders tightly, holding onto him as her feet tangled off the ground. Ethan’s fingers dipped beneath the fabric of her sweater, running along the seam of her jeans with featherlight touch, making her nerve endings go crazy.

By the time the timer on the oven went off, they were both breathless, their lips bruised, and clothes covered in flour.

“Saved by the bell.” He kissed her one last time, stepping away reluctantly to continue their meal.

“As if I ever needed saving from you.” she countered, straightening her sleeves, trying not to make even bigger of a mess around her.

With at least some tension released, they were able to go back to work in relative peace. Food was on the table before they knew it. While he was pouring them each a glass of wine, she went on a hunt for candles, finding two in the cabinet underneath the TV. They sat closely together instead of making use of the large table, preferring the closeness their current seats provided.

“How is it possible that you can’t make pancakes? They’re like, one of the easiest things to cook.” Claire choked on her sip of wine when he complained about the dish, coughing a few times. He threw her an annoyed look, his cheeks reddening slightly.

“It’s just not working for me. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong, but no matter what recipe I try, it’s not coming out right.” His frustration was evident in the way he stabbed a dumpling with his fork. She patted his wrist pitifully, taking great pleasure in having at least one skill over him.

“So that’s decided then, we’re teaching you how to make pancakes in the morning.”

Claire stood up to carry their plates to the sink before Ethan could even push his chair back. As she walked back to her seat, she grabbed cake and two forks, placing it between them, then sat back in her place.

They reached for a fork at the same time, their fingers touching midair. His hand jumped back instantly like he was burned, only to go back in and take her hand properly, stroking her knuckles with his thumb.

“It’s like we’ve just met.” She joked, grabbing the utensil and digging into the sweet treat. He followed suit, taking a bite, only to immediately be overcome with the intensity of the candied orange that cut through the richness of the chocolate, smoothed out by the gentle vanilla frosting.

Claire was deep in thoughts, so she didn’t notice the way his finger swiped against the edge of the cake to pick up the frosting, nor did she notice how it flew towards her cheek. Only after the fact did she turn around, disbelief spelled out on her face, an expression that quickly gave way to the troublemaker grin when she pushed the table away from them, stood up and straddled his thigh, bringing them to the same eyelevel.

She pressed her cheek to his, leaving some of the icing there, then licked it off, her mouth staying in place for a bit. Moving slowly, she traced the lines of his face with openmouthed kisses, listening to how his breathing got caught in his throat when she let her hands wander his body. His arms circled her without a moment of hesitation, pushing the chair further away from the table to make room for her.

Her lips claimed his at long last, the room slowly filling with heavy breaths and sounds of clothes being grabbed and moved out of the way. Ethan stood up abruptly, holding her tightly as he pushed away everything on the table from them to make room for her to sit. As soon as she was steady, he assaulted her neck with hot, lingering kisses. His arms formed a cage of sorts, keeping her in place just as much as she kept him close to her with her legs wrapped around his hips.

Claire grabbed the sides of his face, bringing him back up so they could stare into each other’s eyes. His irises were darkened by desire, so much so that they might as well have been black. Blood was rushing in her ears, filling her head with a soft hum. Their lips brushed softly when she whispered.

“Soon is now.”

He’s never carried her towards the bedroom that fast.

\----------

The sun was setting over the horizon, barely visible between the trees that surrounded the house. Ethan ran his hand up and down her back, tracing the line of her spine meticulously. Claire ran her fingers over the gentle rise and fall of his collarbone, resting her head on his chest comfortably. The comforter was thrown over them haphazardly, barely covering their naked bodies.

“Can we just stay here?” she muttered quietly, words muffled with how her mouth was pressing against his skin. Ethan laughed warmly, adjusting his grip on her to pull her closer.

“I won’t let you leave the bed tomorrow, how about that?”

“You know what I mean.” She pretended to be annoyed, but humor in her voice betrayed her. He leaned down, pressing his lips to the crown of her head, inhaling the soft scent of her shampoo that lingered in her hair.

“I do. And I wish I could say that it’s going to be easy from now on.” regret slipped into his tone, but then he shook himself out of it and placed his finger under her chin to tilt her head and make their eyes meet. She waited for him to say something that would burst their bubble; for another shoe to drop. But it never happened. Instead, he smiled smugly, nudging her nose with his. “I’ll just have to steal you whenever I can.”

“Only if I can steal you too.”

“I thought that was obvious.”


End file.
